An octogenarian male driver who was in a ground subsidence (sinkhole) crash on Seongsan-ro in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 4th was found to have been sent by police to prosecutors. The reason was that, while driving, he failed to properly look ahead, causing the death of his wife in her 70s who was a passenger. Prosecutors said the charges were recognized but did not indict.
According to police and prosecutors on the 24th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office in March gave Mr. A, an octogenarian male facing a charge of death by professional negligence under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, a suspension of indictment.
A suspension of indictment is a type of non-prosecution disposition. It is when a prosecutor recognizes the suspect's criminal charges but, considering various circumstances, does not file an indictment and closes the case. If you receive a suspension of indictment, the case does not go to trial, you do not receive criminal punishment such as a fine or imprisonment, and no criminal record remains.
Earlier, around 11:26 a.m. on Aug. 29 last year, a sinkhole measuring 6 meters wide, 4 meters long, and 2.5 meters deep occurred on Seongsan-ro in Yeonhui-dong. Because of this crash, Mr. A's car, which was traveling on the road, fell into the hole. Mr. A's wife in her 70s was rescued in cardiac arrest, received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and was taken to a hospital, but she ultimately died. Mr. A also suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital.
After investigating the case, the Seodaemun Police Station booked Mr. A on a charge of causing death in February and sent the case to prosecutors. Based on circumstances such as a vehicle ahead avoiding the sinkhole, police determined that Mr. A bore some negligence for failing to keep a proper lookout ahead and thus not avoiding the crash.
Police also investigated the cause of the sinkhole that triggered the crash, but no suspect was booked and the preliminary inquiry was closed. Police said they did not find any clear grounds to hold road management personnel criminally responsible.